Geely News

Shocking number of EVs to be bought in 2026
By Dom Tripolone · 15 Oct 2026
There is a sprint to the finish line as carmakers prepare for a tumultuous end to 2026. This year will be remembered as the point China ascended, but a few other storylines are developing. This is our prediction for the last quarter of 2026. That is a shocking number, that would have seemed impossible just four years ago when Aussies bought about 33,000 electric cars. The sheer breath of choice across all body  shapes, price ranges and brands is what is driving the EV revolution. Healthy incentives, such as the Fringe Benefits Tax exemption, are making the idea of an EV palatable to those that previously never would have considered one. Tesla is still the dominant force in electric cars, but it isn’t the only mover and shaker. BYD’s success has been driven by its range of EVs, and Geely and Zeekr are both selling their electric cars in big numbers. Even Toyota, which was firmly in the no camp for EVs just half a decade ago, has managed to increase sales of its bZ4X by more than 300 per cent this year. New Chinese brands are doing the heavy lifting, but mainstream carmakers are starting to leave their mark by converting their loyal base to zero-emissions vehicles. Toyota will be the best selling car brand this year and the foreseeable future. Despite all the commotion made about BYD’s barnstorming run up the sales charts, especially in the early part of the year, there was never any doubt Toyota would come out on top. Toyota has sold about double the cars of BYD, which is actually a mega effort by BYD and it is on track to sell more than 100,000 cars this year. Toyota has assured everyone it will finish the year strong, with an increase of supply for key models, including RAV4, HiLux, LandCruiser and bZ4X. Toyota is predicting more than 220,000 sales for this year, which means they would need to deliver about 23,000 a month through the last quarter. Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Volkswagen were once the first choice for a huge swath of Aussie buyers, but they haven’t had the vehicles buyers demanded in recent years. Now those once-loyal buyers have jumped ship to BYD, Geely, Zeekr and the like. It’ll be a hard fought battle to win those buyers back. All have some exciting models in the pipeline, with the new Mitsubishi Pajero 4WD, ASX VR-e electric hatch, Nissan Patrol, Nissan Navara Pro PHEV ute, VW ID.Tiguan chief among them. But it is likely the ship has already sailed as the tide has turned towards these new brands. They have the wind in their sails and recording eye-popping growth numbers. Zeekr is up 1500 per cent, Geely and Jaecoo are up more than 600 per cent, BYD is up 100 per cent, Chery is up more than 50 per cent and GWM 14 per cent. The momentum is in their favour and they also have a healthy pipeline of affordable and desirable vehicles locked in for the next 12 months.
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The reason Chinese EVs are cheaper
By Tim Gibson · 14 Oct 2026
There is plenty of affordable Chinese car choice for buyers in Australia, and we’ve just learnt why. Chinese brands can build an EV for $11,000 less than European legacy automakers, according to a report in AutoNews.  Manufacturers aren’t just winning on price, they’re winning on speed as well.  Chinese automakers develop cars more than two times faster than their European rivals. These advantages are seeing Chinese manufacturers surge up the sales charts globally, and there’s more than 100 EV models on sale in Australia.  Chinese carmakers can build and sell cars faster.  European carmakers take up to five years to bring a new model to market, while Chinese rivals can do it in only two years.   When these models do finally hit the market, they aren’t as prolific as Chinese ones, with less than a third of sales from vehicles introduced in the past three years.  New Chinese models account for up to 100 per cent of a brand’s sales within the first two years by contrast.  These factors have contributed to European car brands’ pre-tax profit dropping from 13.2 per cent in 2021 to 6.9 per cent in 2025, which in turn limits their ability to innovate.  The European Union has resorted to hefty tariffs on Chinese EVs coming into the region to protect its car industry, but it’s not stopping buyers choosing them.  These brands have now started building their cars in Europe to avoid tariffs, while taking advantage of under-utilised European automaker factories.  Consultancy firm AlixPartners told AutoNews the way Chinese brands are operating in Europe has fundamentally reset consumer expectations on price and technology. “A gradual response isn’t an option,” AlixPartners co-head of automotive for Germany, Austria and Switzerland Xing Zhou said.  “Manufacturers need to restructure, support their suppliers and move faster on technology partnerships than most have been prepared to do so far.” European carmakers need to aim for two-year development cycles and lean into artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce costs and increase production and development speed, according to the firm.  “The window to act from a position of financial strength is closing, and closing faster than most boardrooms and governments assume,” global co-leader for automotive and industrial practice at AlixPartners Andrew Bergbaum said.
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Bad news for Chinese EVs in Australia
By Dom Tripolone · 13 Oct 2026
Chinese electric cars are about to get more expensive, thanks to a cash grab made by the Chinese government. In a move that will help repair its budget, the Chinese government has slashed the export rebate for value added tax (VAT) on electric, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and range-extender hybrids (REEV) from 13 per cent to nine per cent, according to reports. This effectively means Chinese cars will become four per cent more expensive to send to Australia, but the good news is this doesn’t kick in until April 2027. This means Chinese brands might engage in a price war to grab market share before being forced to lift prices. China is the world’s biggest electric and low-emissions vehicle market in the world, and it exported more than 570,000 examples in September alone. Sales of Chinese-made cars have exploded in Australia, with 42,158 examples finding a new home in September. That is about 39 per cent of all new cars sold in Australia. That number smashes conventional powerhouses Japan, Thailand and South Korea. Not all Chinese-made cars are from Chinese brands. Almost every Australian-delivered Teslas is built in China, and an increasing number of carmakers are building their EVs there, such as the Cupra Tavascan, Hyundai Elexio and Kia EV5, among others. Chinese-built electric cars are starting to dominate the top 10 sellers list, with the Tesla Model Y, BYD Sealion 7 and Geely EX5 all amongst the top sellers for September. There are also a number of contenders knocking on the top 10, including the Zeekr 7X and Jaecoo J5. Even with a four per cent price rise across the board, Chinese cars will still undercut rivals from conventional carmakers. BYD’s Atto 1 is the cheapest car in the country at $19,990 — at least until its promotional drive-away offer ends in December. BYD isn’t alone in sharpening its pencil, with the Geely EX2, GAC Aion UT, GWM Ora 5 and Leapmotor B03X all lobbing in the past few months with price tags at about or less than $30,000. Tesla slashed $9000 of the price of entry into its Model 3 electric sedan, with a new based Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) variant priced from $45,900, before on-road costs. A price war is forming, but it might be slightly blunted by the incoming changes.
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Huge fix for EV issue in the works
By Tim Gibson · 13 Oct 2026
A fix for a huge electric car problem is in the works. The Electric Vehicle Council (EVC) has announced a $1.43 million investment into a national EV charging roadmap.  The EVC said in its 2026 State of EVs report that Australia still needs "substantial public charging investment”.  It called for better data on demand use, reliability and coverage, with Australia’s charging infrastructure conundrum more complex than merely installing more fast chargers.  The roadmap is expected to be finalised in mid-2027.  The $1.43 million is made up of funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) ($1.06 million) as well as contributions from the EVC and other project partners.  The roadmap will look at charging demand, pressure points and where greater coordination could inform investment decisions through to 2035. It aims to introduce a coordinated charging network for passenger cars and heavy vehicles in metropolitan and regional Australia.  “Other major EV markets have recognised the value of coordinated national planning,” EVC Chief Executive officer Julie Delvecchio said.  “This Roadmap will bring that to Australia, shaped around our distances, our electricity system and the needs of everything from passenger cars to heavy trucks.” Owning a petrol or diesel car is becoming more expensive in Australia, and buyers are making the switch to EV power.  The Tesla Model Y has consistently featured in the top five best-selling cars, and in June 2026, it achieved a recording-breaking 8072 sales.  The BYD Sealion 7 has also recorded a serious increase in sales as it provides tough competition for the Model Y, while Geely’s EX5 has had a bumper 2026.  The federal government is targeting 5 million electric cars on Aussie roads by 2035, which would require the total number of EVs on the road to increase tenfold. Electric cars are now among the cheapest on offer in Australia.  The BYD Atto 1 starts from $19,990, drive-away (until December 15, 2026), while the Geely EX2 is available from $26,490, before on-road costs.  The New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) is helping to increase EV choices for buyers, with high-emission cars incurring hefty fines under the scheme. 
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This is the new Holden Commodore
By Laura Berry · 10 Oct 2026
The Tesla Model Y is clearly the new Holden Commodore and the BYD Sealion 7 is the new Mazda CX-5. That’s how much things have changed, and it’s also how unscientific this story is - but I’ve included a table that makes me look as if I've based some of this on facts. Yep, the top 10 best-selling cars in Australia in 2026 looks very different to the top 10 from 2016. What were the big sellers back then and what’s replaced them now? Have we progressed onto better cars or was 2016 the peak and it’s all been downhill since? If you were to travel back 10 years in time and show anybody the top 10 best-selling cars for September 2026, even a car journo would look at you and say: "What’s a Geely EX5?". And you’d tell them it's a fully electric mid-sized SUV that came in at No.8 in the list of best sellers for September, 2026. But do not tell them anything else, you’ll risk altering the time line.  If you look at what car placed No.8 in 2016 you’ll find it was the Mitsubishi Triton ute. The Triton has fallen out of today’s top 10 in fact only two of the cars from the 2016 best sellers are still in the 2026 list, some of them like the Holden Commodore don’t exist at all anymore. Check out the table below for a side-by-side comparison of September 2016 v September 2026 In 2016, all of our top 10 cars had internal combustion engines (ICE) and only the Corolla was offered with a hybrid powertrain.  Currently, three of our top 10 cars are fully electric, five are offered in both hybrid and ICE formats, while only two models are only offered with ICE. The Corolla is gone, well it’s still on sale in 2026, but it’s left the top 10. See 2016 was one of the last years when hatchbacks ruled. The Corolla, Mazda3, Hyundai i30 were the three little kings, with the Hyundai Accent thrown in there, too. But they’ve been replaced now by new small rulers. I would even say the Chery Tiggo 4 and Haval Jolion are the new Corolla, i30 and Mazda 3. They are almost exactly the same size, price and target demographic for a Corolla in 2016. Following this gut logic I reckon the Tesla Model Y is the new Commodore. Holden fans won’t like to admit it, but they know I’m right.  The BYD Sealion 7 — that is the new Mazda CX-5. They’ve everywhere and they appeal to people who think they’re a bit better than a RAV4. Who’s now buying the RAV4? That’s a trick question because we all know RAV4 owners go on to buy another RAV4. So the RAV4 is the new RAV4. The EX5 is obviously the new Hyundai Tucson because it's one of the best but under-appreciated cars here. The D-Max is the new Triton. And that’s because the D-Max is no longer the runt of the ute litter, but it's still cheaper than a Ranger. What’s left. Ranger hasn’t changed - the same people are buying it and more of them and the same goes for HiLux. Those folks who would have loved V8 Commodores and Falcons are now in the tough ute group. Basically anyone who’d have a HSV or FPV 10 years ago is in a Ranger Raptor or HiLux GR Sport now. Prado is interesting and I think they are Toyota buyers who don’t want a Kluger and didn’t like their Fortuner but aren’t up for the 300 Series big dog. What do you think? If the Tesla Model Y isn’t the new Commodore then what is?  And were things better in 2016 when everything was ICE? Is our top 10 now looking like a list of best-selling electrical appliances? Are the Ranger and HiLux the last bastions of the best era ever? Or has their time come to move aside because EVs make far more sense? Also as a side note just to reassure you somewhat that not all of this is complete rubbish. Not only was in the same role at CarsGuide in 2016, but I'm pretty sure I also took most of the pictures of these cars from then, too. Stay tuned for my next unscientific round up of what’s what in 2036 when I’ll tell you that the super popular Mooflander Huckster 4 is the new Tesla Model Y.
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Best new car deals
By Tim Gibson · 09 Oct 2026
There are some sharply priced new car deals available for Aussie buyers at the moment. Brands including Chery, Geely and GWM are putting forward some strong deals. Here are a few of the best ones going around. GWM has discounted some of its most popular models in Australia until October 31, 2026 as part of its 18-year celebrations.  The Haval Jolion's Premium grade starts from $23,990, down from $26,990 on drive-away pricing. The small SUV has consistently been one of the best-selling cars in Australia in 2026.  GWM has discounted its H6 mid-size SUV range. The petrol Lux grade is available from $33,990 (a $2000 price cut), while the Lux hybrid starts from $37,990 ($3000 cheaper). The Haval H6 GT is now $2000 cheaper, starting from $44,490, drive-away, while the Cannon Alpha diesel ute Ultra grade is available from $54,990 - a $4000 discount.  Geely is offering six per cent off cars purchased through approved novated lease arrangements until October 31, 2026.  This is available on its electric EX2 hatchback and EX5 mid-size SUV, as well as the Starray EM-i plug-in hybrid SUV.  The six per cent discount is applied to the vehicle price, meaning buyers must still pay for on-road costs and other applicable charges.  Applying the discount, the EX2 is available from $24,900, the EX5 $39,470 and the Starray $35,240, all before on-road costs.  Chery is offering several deals on its popular SUV range.  The brand is selling its hugely popular Tiggo 4 small SUV with a $1500 bonus fuel card until October 31, 2026. The car is available from $23,990 (drive-away).  Tiggo 4 hybrid variants are now available with $2000 cashback until October 31, 2026, reducing its starting price to $27,990 (drive-away).  Chery is offering its Tiggo 7 ($29,990) petrol and plug-in hybrid ($39,990) mid-size SUVs with a $2000 fuel card, as well as its Tiggo 8 ($41,990) petrol until October 31, 2026, both drive-away.  The Tiggo 8 ($45,990) and Tiggo 9 ($52,990) PHEVs are available with a $3000 cashback deal, equating to a discounted price of $42,990 and $49,990, drive-away, respectively. The Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class is available with substantial discounts.  The GLC 200 Special Edition is priced from $65,490 (drive-away) as the cheapest GLC model in the line-up.  The regular GLC 200 now starts from $79,990 (drive-away) compared to its original $89,000 before on-road costs pricing.  The plug-in hybrid GLC 350e is also available with a sharp deal from $98,990 (drive-away), contrasting its $99,900 (before on-road costs) retail price.  These offers run until November 30, 2026 and the car must be delivered by December 31, 2026.  Mercedes-Benz has also discounted the EQA 250+ electric SUV that is available from $65,490 (drive-away) until December 31, 2026.  Skoda is offering its Kodiaq mild hybrid large SUV from $49,990 (drive-away), essentially representing free on-road costs, with this deal matching the car's retail price.  Buyers should note the Kodiaq is not powered by a conventional hybrid set-up, rather it has a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine powering the wheels and a 48-volt battery.  The deal runs until December 31, 2026. 
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Up 1500 per cent: China's rising stars
By Dom Tripolone · 07 Oct 2026
The Australian new-car market has been turned upside down. This seismic upheaval is being led by the new breed of Chinese brands landing on our shores. Everyone has heard of BYD, Chery and GWM, but there is a new phalanx driving into the centre of the Australian market, leaving a path of big name brands in its path. Leading the pack is Zeekr. The premium Chinese electric car brand has sold more than 12,000 vehicles through the first nine months of this year, a jump of more than 1560 per cent compared to the same period last year. That is an outstanding job for a brand that launched a little more than a year ago. The lion’s share of those sales are driven by the Zeekr 7X electric mid-size SUV. There are no signs of Zeekr slowing down, with the 8X and 9X large plug-in hybrid SUVs looming and the stylish 7GT due soon. Next up is Geely, which is becoming a household name and is on the cusp of cracking the top 10. It is the home brand for the giant Geely Group, which includes Polestar, Volvo and Zeekr, among others. Geely is the more affordable brand in the group’s stable, and the EX5 mid-size electric SUV and the related Starray plug-in hybrid have both found success since launching in 2025.  This has been complemented by the recent arrival of the little EX2 electric hatchback, which is also China’s most popular EV. There is a healthy pipeline of products coming in the next 12 months that should have some big names shaking in their boots. There is some serious hype behind the Mitsubishi Pajero and Toyota Prado-rivalling Geely Battleship 700 and the Toyota RAV4-busting Monjaro plug-in hybrids. The former is a 830kW all-wheel-drive monster with proper diff locks, 800mm wading depth and air suspension, along with a raft of high-tech and luxury features inside. The latter is a family SUV with up to 170km of electric driving range, plenty of safety tech and big screens. Chery has lumped its Omoda and Jaecoo sub brands together, with Jaecoo-branded vehicles doing the heavy lifting. Sales are up more than 600 per cent this year, with more than 15,000 sold through to the end of September. The J5 small SUV is a smash hit, doing more than 11,000 sales in that period. It is available with petrol, hybrid or electric power. Jaecoo doesn’t have too many new additions arriving, with Omoda handling most of the new-vehicle launches in the next 12 months. GAC is very new, but there are signs it could be the next big thing. It has only been selling cars for less than a year, but in September it sold more than 1100 units. That’s more than Suzuki and almost as many as Honda. GAC has four models on sale: the electric Aion V SUV and UT hatchback, plug-in hybrid M8 plug-in hybrid people mover and Emzoom petrol small SUV.   For every action there's an equal and opposite reaction. The rise of the big-name Chinese brands and the rising stars has caused some long-time favourites to tumble out of the top 10 sellers list. Mainstream brands are most at risk, as these new Chinese carmakers offer similar products, with more tech, and fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid or electric power at lower prices. The once mighty Nissan has dipped more than 33 per cent this year. It does have help on the way with the new Patrol due early next year, and Chinese-sourced Navara Pro and Terrano plug-in hybrid ute and 4WD coming soon. Mitsubishi has seen the next biggest fall, with yearly sales down more than 30 per cent. Luckily it has the Pajero and electric ASX VR-e coming before the end of the year. Subaru hasn’t fared much better with sales down more than 29 per cent, there isn’t much on the horizon but Subaru does have a healthy number of EVs in its line-up now. Volkswagen is in trouble abroad, and in Australia, with sales down more than 23 per cent this year. Suzuki is very exposed at the bottom end of the market, with sales down almost 20 per cent this year.    
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Chinese cars outselling entire brands
By Tim Gibson · 07 Oct 2026
Chinese brands are having a monster 2026 on the sales charts. BYD further solidified second place in the top-selling brands race, so far bettering Ford, Kia, Mazda and Hyundai. The giant Chinese brand has more than doubled its Australian market share in 2026 compared to 2025. GWM, Chery and MG all now regularly feature in the top 10. Some individual Chinese models have even started to outsell entire legacy brands in Australia. The BYD Sealion 7 electric mid-size SUV was the fifth-best-selling car in September 2026, shifting 2687 units across the month. This represented a more than 42 per cent jump on September 2025, as it continues to be the closest rival to the Tesla Model Y. This means it nearly matched the Mitsubishi brand’s 2769 cars sold across its entire range in September. Overall, Mitsubishi has sold 33,245 cars up to September 2026, in excess of 10,000 more than the BYD Sealion 7’s 19,964 examples sold. Australian Design Rule changes forced the Japanese brand to discontinue sale of several of its strong-selling models. These included the ASX and Eclipse Cross small SUVs, as well as the adventure-pitched Pajero Sport. The old ASX used to be one of the most popular cars in Australia, owing to its less than $30,000 price tag and dependability. Mitsubishi is again beefing up its line-up in Australia. The much-anticipated Pajero 4WD and a fully-electric variant of the new ASX will launch in the coming months. Some of China’s other popular SUVs put up similarly spectacular numbers in September 2026. Chery registered 2059 sales for its Tiggo 4 small SUV, which is more than what Nissan (2028) and Subaru (2009) managed across their line-ups. The GWM Haval Jolion also outsold Subaru in September, with 2018 sales. The Tiggo 4 and Haval Jolion provide variety for buyers between petrol or conventional hybrid set-ups. They are also among some of the cheapest cars in Australia. Petrol grades of the Tiggo 4 ($23,990) and Haval Jolion ($26,990) are both sub-$30,000, drive-away, in Australia. Geely has stormed up the Aussie sales rankings in 2026, and its EX5 electric mid-size SUV ($41,990, before on-road costs) has led the way for the brand. The EX5’s 2008 sales in September 2026 were just shy of Subaru’s total, but above Suzuki (1049) and Volkswagen (1599). VW's figure does not include other brands in the VW group, such as Audi and Skoda, among others that would boost its sales to more than 3000 for September 2026.
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Different hybrid tech explained
By Tim Gibson · 30 Sep 2026
Hybrid power is now mainstream for Aussie buyers.   It's an important choice for buyers transitioning from petrol- and diesel-powered cars to full EVs. Hybrid-powered cars are also important for brands as they seeks alternatives to internal combustion cars that incur fines under the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES). There are broad categories of hybrid cars in Australia, and each one has its own benefits for buyers. Here's a look at what hybrids are available, and which one might suit you best. Mild hybrid power is the first stage of electrification for cars. Mild hybrid cars can't drive on EV power alone, because they only use a small, low-voltage battery (usually) 48-volt, with a less than 1kWh capacity. The electric motor usual powers certain electrical features and the starter motor. They don't need to be charged, but they also don't offer noticeably better fuel efficiency than standard petrol- and diesel-powered cars. The popular Toyota HiLux ute is available with a 48-volt mild hybrid system, while Suzuki and Renault offer mild hybrid set-ups on some of their models. Conventional hybrid, plug-less hybrid or self-charging hybrid cars are popular in Australia. The engine works seamlessly with a bigger electric motor to maximise fuel efficiency. A conventional hybrid usually runs on electric-only power at low speeds or for short distances when cruising at higher speeds. The engine will kick in at higher speeds or when more power is needed, blending petrol and electric power. This makes fuels efficiency in urban environments or star-stop traffic better than what a petrol- or diesel-powered car would achieve. The battery in a conventional hybrid is charged by the engine and from regenerative braking, meaning the car doesn't need to be plugged in. The conventional hybrid car's battery is smaller than those in plug-in hybrid and fully-electric cars, and still requires a petrol engine to run. Toyota provides conventional hybrid set-ups on the vast majority of its Australian line-up, including its RAV4 SUV and Camry sedan. Other popular brands Kia, Hyundai and others also have affordable conventional hybrid variants on its popular models. Plug-in hybrids or PHEVs take hybrid power to the next level because they are equipped with a much larger battery and a more powerful electric motor set-up. PHEVs have a long electric-only driving range, with some capable of exceeding 200km, before the engine is needed to drive the wheels. Most new PHEVs have an EV range of at least 100km. This means daily commuters will rarely have to fill-up on fuel if they charge the battery every night. PHEVs also boast significant combined driving range as they have a regular sized fuel tank to power the engine, resulting in ranges of north of 1000km before the fuel tank and battery are depleted. Carmakers often claim PHEVs drink less than 2.0L/100km of fuel, but that requires owners to constantly charge their batteries and never let it deplete. Once the battery is depleted fuel use will skyrocket, as the small engine has to move around a heavy vehicle weighed down by the battery and electric motors. PHEVs suit a buyer with access to charging facilities, who also want outstanding fuel efficiency. Bigger Chinese vehicles usually employ PHEV set-ups, including the BYD Shark 6 ute and incoming Zeekr 8X and 9X. Range-extender hybrids, also known as Range Extender Electric Vehicle (REEV) or Extended-Range Electric vehicle (EREV), are gaining popularity globally. They are feature similar hardware to PHEVs, but work in a different way. The engine in a REEV's is used as a generator for charging the battery, and the wheels are driven by the electric motor, or motors, only. REEV's have an EV-sized battery that can also be plugged in to charge, giving these cars a driving range comfortably exceeding 1000km. Leapmotor's B10 and C10 SUVs use REEV set-ups in Australia, but the incoming Forthing Taikon 5 and the XPeng L03 will also employ the set-up when they hit showrooms. Nissan’s ‘e-Power’ hybrid system in the X-Trail and Qashqai SUVs employ REEV tech on a smaller scale, using the engine to power a small battery that powers the wheels, but this battery cannot be plugged in to charge.
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Smash hit Chinese 4WD incoming
By Dom Tripolone · 30 Sep 2026
Australia is about to get one of the hottest new vehicles from China. Geely has confirmed the Battleship 700 — name still pending — will come to Australia in the second half of 2027. And if its initial success in China is an indication Geely will have a smash hit on its hands in Australia.  Chinese buyers have hit fever pitch with 43,900 pre-sale orders received in the first hour after the order books opened. Aimed at everything from the new Mitsubishi Pajero to the Denza B8 and Nissan Patrol and Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, it is a big beast, measuring 5085mm long, 1999mm wide, 1895mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2900mm. Australia will get the most powerful version, which uses a 2.0-litre petrol engine and three electric motors, delivering total outputs of 830kW and all-wheel-drive grip. The Battleship 700 gets a 47kWh battery pack, which is claimed to deliver an electric driving range of up to 170km. It is built on a new ladder-frame architecture, which will give it proper off-road ability. It has adjustable-height air suspension, off-road specific modes, an 800mm wading depth and a rear differential lock. It also has lots of hi-tech features including a ‘crab turn’ mode to rotate on the spot and it can self-park. It has a panoramic sunroof, 12.3-inch digital dash, 15.6-inch multimedia touchscreen, a fridge/heater under the centre console, standard synthetic leather interior trim and up to 23 speakers for the sound system. The Battleship 700 in 2.0-litre tri-motor form starts from the equivalent of around $A56,500 in China, stretching to $A81,460 for the top-spec ‘Land Yacht’ version. Chinese vehicles usually cost about 20 per cent more in Australia than in China, so expect it to cost in the range of $A70,000-$100,000, depending on the specification Geely brings Down Under. The Denza B8 starts at about $91,000 (before on-road costs) and the Nissan Patrol and Toyota LandCruiser start from just under six-figures.
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